31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros
by J. Maria
Summary: The fourth installment of my wacky October series. Xovers: Sweet Valley High, Grey's Anatomy, Supernatural, Psych, Jinx Inc, Immortals After Dark, Lords of the Underworld, Witches of Eastwick, Castle, Carpathians, According to Jim, Scooby Doo, & Reba.
1. Watching Your World from Afar xxxxxx NWO

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Watching Your World From Afar  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Francine Pascal owns the Twins of Doom, er, Sweet Valley  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: And yet, you _still_ doubted the whole slayer shtick?  
Words: 409  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Yes, I know how many other things I should be doing...they didn't stick! And yes, I still have a big chunk of my SVH and SVT books...I wanted a blue/green eyed blonde twin sister of my very own, I settled for blonde twin best friends. Funny how life gives you things like that. I'd say spoilers for the Evil Twins duo, but, the books came out over a decade ago. If you haven't read it by now, you're not even gonna find it to read. Or really want to, to be honest. What's funny is, the first one was a book my mom read to me before bed when I was in grade school. Like in third grade.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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1. Watching Your World From Afar

Buffy stared in amazement at the four identical images before her. How was that even _possible_? Dawn and Faith each wore mirroring 'what the hell faces' as they sat beside her. Dawn was the first to speak.

"Is it me, or are slayers just really unlucky when it comes to popularity and sane family lives?"

"And have a shitload of stalkers," Faith shoved her pile away from her.

"Our family was sane!" Buffy protested, her eyes leaving the two girls in front of her.

"Ours is very sane as well," Elizabeth Wakefield, the blonde haired, blue-green eyed twin with her hair pulled back in a ponytail pointed out, interrupting the argument between the Summers siblings.

"Yeah, it was the nutcase and _her twin_ who tried to take over our lives that were insane," Jessica Wakefield snorted indelicately. Her long, sun-kissed blonde hair was styled and down. "Though, Mom mentioned something about being engaged to Mr. Patman before she met Dad and that is just freaky because I've made out with Bruce Patman and we could have been siblings. Ew!"

Dawn coughed after a very awkward silence in which Elizabeth looked at her sister with an infinitely patient look, and the WTF look was back on both Buffy and Faith's faces. After sending the two sisters on their way to the new dorms for the potentials-turned-slayers, Buffy couldn't hold it in anymore.

"It's weird though, right? That both Wakefield sisters are slayers, and Nora and Margo were tapped as potentials?"

"Not real people."

"Huh?" Faith reached for her pack of cigarettes, ignoring Buffy's pointed look.

"We interviewed the 'living twin'," Dawn said in air-quotes. "They're not real. It's not possible for a set of twins to have an exactly duplicated set of non-biologically related twins. Willow was with us when we went to interview her."

"Doppelgangers?"

"That's what we think. Because of the potential slayerness in the Wakefields, the doppeltwins were influenced by the demon-taint that's in all slayers," Dawn sighed, flipping through the papers.

"Explains why they _both_ went bat-shit crazy on the Wakefield sisters," Faith shook her head.

"And why Nora was able to subdue and kill Margo," Dawn shivered. "So very twisted."

"And those two aren't?" Faith snorted.

"I can just see that Jessica falling in love with the first 'woe-is-me' vamp she runs across," Dawn rolled her eyes, giving Buffy a pointed look.

"Hey!" Buffy smacked at her younger sister.

"Damn, I knew she reminded me of someone!" Faith chuckled.


	2. Walk Away from This Hell xxx Coping Mech

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Walk Away From This Hell  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Kripke owns the boys, & Rhimes owns Seattle Grace.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: The toughest choice to make involves more than one heart.  
Words: 670  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Ah, Subset season is once again upon us. Bringing back _Coping Mechanisms _from last year's _31 Nights of Frights, Chapter Three_, because I kinda left it loose-ended. Did Sam pack up and take off with Dean? Did he pick Vi and Lexie over his vendetta and brother? What happened with Ruby?

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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2. Walk Away From This Hell

"I wish I knew who did do it, Dean. But I don't!" Sam protested, hurt that Dean would even think he'd do something like that.

"So you didn't bargain with a demon to get me out of hell?"

"No, Dean, I didn't. I tried for a month or two, but - I walked that path once and it didn't do any good!" Sam shouted, raking a hand through his hair.

"How'd the Council find you?" Bobby asked, startling the boys out of their argument.

"A Wicca named Willow -"

"Are you fucking me?" Dean blew out, staring at Sam in disbelief. "You took up with a witch. After everything those bitches did -"

"She's wiccan, not a witch. And she only ever went bad when her lover Tara was killed," Vi snapped, unable to ignore them anymore. Lexie had been freaking out since the second they had showed up, and had hidden in the bathroom worried that her life at Seattle Grace would be in jeopardy.

"Did anyone ask you, Red?" Dean snapped back.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't talk to her like that," Sam glared at Dean.

"She saved the world, and my life a few times, so yeah, when you bad-mouth a person you don't even know then you are asking my opinion," Vi turned away from them, knocking gently on the bathroom door. "Lexie, hon, let me in."

The door creaked open far enough for her to just scoot through the doors. Lexie had jerked on a pair of scrubs she'd brought with her from the hospital. Lexie had brought a lot of weird stuff home lately. She was nesting and being a klepto from what Vi could gather. Now she just looked scared and worried.

"Is Sam gonna take off with those guys, Vi?" Lexie burst out. She also had abandonment issues. Vi was only a few months older than her, but the other slayer still looked up to her.

"I think-"

_"What the fuck do you mean you _can't _leave right now?" _Dean's voice burst through the door.

"I think he has to, for just a little while," Vi said on a shaky breath. "I don't think he can just give up his brother yet."

"But what about us? We're his _slayers_."

"And that's his family out there. His Dean, and his Bobby." Memories of his stories about Bobby and Dean played through her mind. Giving Lexie a shaky smile, Vi pushed her way back out through the door and into the main room.

Bobby was looking at her warily. Dean was giving her the death glare. So what? She'd seen worse, including Resolve Face. Sam paused mid-rant and glanced over at her.

"I think you should leave," Vi said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Now look here -" Dean half-shouted.

"I'm not talking to you, stud," Vi snapped. "Or to Bobby. I'm talking to _Sam_."

"Huh?"

"Vi -" Sam blinked at her a few times.

"I think you should go with Dean and Bobby for a little while, until you can figure out what dragged him out of hell."

"But you and Lexie -"

"Can handle ourselves for a while. I lived through the First, I can handle her and Seattle Grace for a couple of weeks," Vi pasted a thin smile on her face. "Your brother is alive, Sam. Don't you think you should figured out _why_? See if _she's _behind it?"

"She? She who?" Dean frowned.

"Ruby or Lilith," Vi answered. "We'll be okay, Sam."

"I'm supposed to look out for you,' Sam murmured, his eyes betraying just how torn he was.

"Then go handle this. It's for the best."

Vi watched as he gathered up some of his stuff and headed out with Bobby and Dean. He turned back at the door.

"I'm coming back, Vi. I'm not leaving forever," he whispered, his lips pressing in for one quick kiss.

"I know," Vi lied. She wasn't sure that he was ever coming back. To her heart, it felt like the end of the world.


	3. They Say You Made Me Evil xxxxxxxx DI:HL

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: They Say You Made Me Evil  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Gena Showalter owns The Lords of the Underworld, Christine Feehan owns the Carpathians.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Lies meets a watcher on a lay-over.  
Spoilers: _The Darkest Whisper,_ but nothing that has to do with the main action of the book.  
Words: 537  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: I love everything that this woman writes. She's flippin hilarious. Her boys are so wonderfully jacked up. What's not to love? And she and Kresley Cole do crossover mentions! Loosely connected to the _Dark Inklings_ series, _Haunted:Lies_ subset.  
Also, written way before The Darkest Lie came out...so consider it AU.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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3. They Say You Made Me Evil

His hair was dyed a startling shade of blue, and for a minute, he looked completely out of place amongst all of the other muscle-bound men at their table in the bar. Kit wasn't sure why he was with them. Sure, he was hot and a bit lethal looking, so part of him fit in with the group of collectively stunning men. For a second, she was reminded of Vi and her new boy-toy Josef.

The punk hair and screw-you attitude was all Joey. Fortunately, that's where the similarities ended. Kit might just be ill if she thought she was getting the hots for her friend's boyfriend's look-alike. Ugh. Now she was thinking of the sickeningly sweet display they'd put on the other day via webcam. Damn. She shouldn't have come to Budapest, and she so should not be on her way to the hidden Carpathian headquarters in the mountains they were named after. But Dru was pestering everyone and Dawn had put out an S.O.S. Rona and Carlos were wrapped up in Council work, while Vi and Dawn were already out there. Kit was the only one unaccounted for, being neither needed or particularly wanted at either locales. God, that was depressing.

"You're so not in my way," the guy she'd been ogling not two minutes ago brushed past her to get at the bar.

"Gee, and you're such a ray of sunshine," Kit snapped, not able to keep her mouth shut.

"Hmm." Did he have to have gorgeous kohl eyes and look so pretty? Why was he watching the tapping of his fingers with such a mix of awe and worry? And why the hell did she particularly care? Weird.

"You a big conversationalist? Or was that little sentence the extent of your English?" Kit frowned, not sure why she was so irritated by this guy.

"I never stop talking," He smirked, and preceded to be utterly silent. But his eyes spoke volumes as he gave her a telling once over.

"Should I get naked right here? Did you get a good enough look at the merchandise?" Kit was grateful for the dimmed lights. Hopefully he wouldn't notice the blush.

He looked torn for a second. God, did he think she was that much of a ho that she would get butt naked with a guy she'd spoken barely five sentences to? _Yes, please let him ask for more!_ Her traitorous mind screeched at her. She snorted at him and turned away from him.

Gideon watched as she slipped away to her own little table by herself. God, she was something else. He wanted to go up to her and say honestly that he hadn't gotten a good enough look, and would she please, please let him take hours to look her over? To touch and explore and taste. He looked over at the other Lords of the Underworld. His hands still twitched as he shot down the drink in front of him and nodded for another.

The keeper of Lies, even remembering the torture at the hands of the Hunters would have gladly taken the body wracking torment to tell that girl the truth.

"That's _not_ a startling thought," Gideon hissed bitterly into his cup.


	4. Sometimes Brilliant Busted x SBPD Patrol

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Sometimes Brilliant Busted Thoughts  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, USA owns _Psych_.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: A new detective meets the resident psychic.  
Words: 347  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _SBPD Patrol_ set.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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4. Sometimes Brilliant Busted Thoughts

"A psychic?" Kate Lockley could not believe her luck.

"I'm not sure he's entirely credible," Detective Carlton Lassiter assured her. "I'm hoping he's certifiable enough to one day lock up."

"Shawn has an impressive track record, and they do get results," Detective Juliet O'Hara argued.

"Awesomely impressive," Shawn Spencer, psychic popped down onto Lassiter's desk. "What are we coffee klutching about again?"

"Aren't you, as a psychic, supposed to know that sort of thing intuitively?" Kate crossed her arms and smirked at him.

"I save all the heavy lifting for important things," Shawn smirked back. "Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Shawn, Gus, this is Detective Kate Lockley. She's a recent transfer to the department."

"Do you get throbbing headaches, see crazy things?" Kate snapped, starring him down.

"Uh, occasionally?" Shawn took a half a step back.

"I don't think you're really psychic."

"Uh, yeah, I am."

"Prove it."

"I can't just summon the spirits to tell me stuff on the whim of some newbie detective. We don't roll like that," Shawn held out his hand for a fist bump from Gus, but Kate strode forward, seriously crowding his personal space.

"I'm not a newbie, and there's no way in hell I'm gonna let some third-rate magic act belittle the hard work of people who wear the uniform," Kate's voice went low and nearly feral. Before she gave in the urge to smack him, which he noticed by the barely restrained clenching of her fists and the grinding of her jaw, she stalked away, nearly plowing over Buzz.

"Yikes, who was that masked man?" Shawn muttered.

"In case the psychic vibes aren't working or you need to consult Guster's head, maybe I should tell you that Detective Lockley formerly worked homicide in Los Angeles for over three years, and dealt with Occult nut jobs on a daily basis," Lassiter said from behind them.

"Yes, but the question is, were you cloned from her or was it the other way around?" Shawn replied, glancing at Gus, who remained frozen on the spot and glancing back at Detective Lockleys retreating form.


	5. Upon a Fiery Steed xxxxxxxxx Coping Mech

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Upon a Fiery Steed  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Kripke owns Supernatural  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Slayer Vs. Demon-Witch.  
Words: 367  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Continuation of the _Coping Mechanisms_ verse.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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5. Upon a Fiery Steed

The brunette was pounding on the hotel suite door again. Vi was truly getting sick of seeing her face. And hearing her demanding to see Sam. As if she had the right to demand anything from Sam. From what he'd told her, Vi hat gathered that the demon bitch had led Sam around by the nose last year, giving him false hope that she was the only one who could save Dean from Hell.

Lexie had left hours ago for her shift at the hospital, letting Vi grieve in private. Sam had promised he'd come back, but she wasn't sure he could leave Dean by himself. So now she was stuck with this cow banging on her door while she was mourning the potential loss of the man she loved.

"What the fuck do you want, Ruby?" Vi snapped, jerking the door open.

"You kiss Sammy with that mouth?" Ruby tried to shove past her into the room.

"Sam's mouth isn't any of your concern."

"Look, Slayer, I need to talk to Sam. Why don't you just make yourself scarce and let the grown-ups talk, 'kay?" Ruby pasted a sickly sweet grin on her face.

"Sam's not here."

"Don't give me that bullshit."

"Funny thing happened last night," Vi smiled sweetly back at her.

"I don't have time for story-time, Slayer. Let me in."

"Not for a million bucks, and you'll want to hear this story," Vis smile got bigger. "Bobby Singer showed up last night. You remember Bobby, you helped him fix the Colt? Well, imagine our surprise when he brought another hunter with him."

"Gee, I didn't know you could open your legs that far, Slayer."

"Don't make me bloody the poor meat-suit you're wearing this week, _demon_," Vi snapped. "Don't you want to know who the hunter was?"

"Not really."

"It was Dean. As in Winchester. As in 'rotting in hell' Dean Winchester."

Ruby's eyes widened a tiny fraction. She backed up a little as realization hit her. Someone had dragged Dean _out of hell_. And Ruby hadn't known it.

"So you can understand _why_ Sam's not here right now," Vi finished, giving her a subtle shove out of the doorframe. "Good luck finding him."


	6. A Witch Was She xxxxxxxxxxx Haunted:Bear

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: A Witch Was She  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Kenyon owns the Dark-Hunters, Were-Hunters & Dream-Hunters.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Spoilers: _Bad Moon Rising_  
Part Summary: Barroom observations.  
Words: 263  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Haunted:Bear_ set, loosely connected to the _Dark Inklings_ verse.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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6. A Witch Was She

Remi Peltier was ready to knock some heads together. Truth be told, he'd been itching for a fight for months. Hell, years and probably centuries. Now just seemed like an opportune time. There was a charged atmosphere in the main barroom of Sanctuary. Changing of the guard, and all that shit. Now that Mama and Papa Bear were gone and Sanctuary had stopped being an official sanctuary, the Peltier brothers had found plenty of opportunity to vent the rage and grief on the general populace of assholes that still came to the bar.

Remi shook off those thoughts and lugged the case of glasses behind the bar. Why he was on schlepping duty, he couldn't figure out, but he was. Glaring in the general direction of his little sister and her new mate, he almost let the glasses drop. Almost.

"Holy crap, how'd he get in here so fast?"

Remi rolled his eyes at the inane comment he'd heard most of his life. Shooting a menacing glare in the direction of the bottle-blonde twit who'd made the comment, he turned back to the kitchen. He almost didn't hear her companion's comment.

"Different guy, Starla. Way different mannerisms," the brunette commented low enough that he barely heard her, even with his advanced senses.

"Are you sure, Dawn?"

"Positive. You have to learn these things. Power of observation and all that jazz."

That nearly stopped him cold. Why the hell was this woman having her friend observe the patrons at Sanctuary? And where the hell was he gonna hide the bodies if it turned south?


	7. Apologize For All My Sins x Haunted:Lies

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Apologize For All My Sins  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Showalter owns the Lords of the underworld.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Back-alley conversations.  
Words: 637  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Haunted: Lies_ subset.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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7. Apologize For All My Sins

Kit had made it all of twenty feet from the bar when they jumped her. Her night had gone from bad to worse. She'd left the packed bar simply because the hot guy was an ass and now she was paying for that bit of pride. Reaching for her emergency cross and stake, Kit braced herself for a fight. Unfortunately, her attackers looked at her like she was on crack. Okay, so they weren't vampires. Crap.

The five men were all bigger than her and some of them were sporting guns, so she took a real quick inventory of her situation. Hurling the heavy silver cross at her closest attacker seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Crazy bitch!" he screamed as it hit him in the crotch.

She streaked down the alleyway, trying her damnedest to get away. Four of her pursuers raced after her. She wished that she had a slayer or Carpathian or a Destroyer with her. Hell, she wished she had Carlos with her. Anyone who would help her out. What the hell did they want with her? She hadn't done anything in the bar besides have a drink and a minimal conversation with a stranger.

"Got real far, didn't you, you little whore?" the fifth man sneered at her.

"Yeah, not really accurate type-casting, dickweed," Kit snapped. "I haven't spread my legs for anyone tonight, and I sure as fuck am not gonna start with you. Ooops, my cross took care of that for me."

Kit barely felt the blow to her face. She heard the protests of one of the other attackers, which was real sweet of him. Not. She'd fallen back into the wire fencing, barely able to keep her knees from quivering.

"Aww, you bring me to the nicest places, Gideon," a new voice broke in from behind them.

"Bastard demons," the leader of her rabid pack hissed at the two men at the mouth of the alley.

Kit blinked and tried to look around them, focusing on the shock of blue hair and the really good looking guy next to him. Something felt off about them, but demon-y? She didn't think so.

"Where are their antlers and oozing puss?" Kit tried to roll her eyes at the group of creepy-ass humans who'd attacked her in the first place.

"Shut up, you stupid little bitch!" Leader-boy smacked her again, which she retaliated with a swift kick to his knee-cap.

"Stop hitting me, you ass-lick!" Kit snapped.

"Get them!" The leader grabbed for her throat, knocking her down to the ground. Kit tried to scramble away, but he bore down on her, his weight giving him more leverage.

Her hands slapped at his head trying to claw free of him. When that failed and her vision started to blur and dim, her slapped at the ground, looking for her stake. He squeezed tighter as her fingers wrapped around the stake. She had just enough strength to jerk it down into the back of his neck. She felt a searing pain in her right shoulder as his eyes widened in shock, his fingers giving a compulsive clench around her much abused throat.

He was jerked back from her, his body falling limply to the pavement beside her. Kit started to gulp in air before she noticed the blood on her and the blue-haired man staring down at her.

"Thanks," Kit rasped just before her eyes rolled back into her head.

"Shit. I don't think we should take her back with us," Gideon snapped at William the immortal.

"Judging by the lack of body spasms you're having, we should take her back to the Fortress of Solitude?" William laughed, having enjoyed the fight she had unwittingly provided.

Gideon nodded. It was gonna really suck if she turned out to be Bait.


	8. Hit Me Just to Hurt Me xxxx Haunted:Bear

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Hit Me Just to Hurt Me  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Kenyon owns the Dark-Hunters & crew.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Close quarters.  
Words: 223  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Haunted: Bear_ subset.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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8. Hit Me Just to Hurt Me

They would have thought she was crazy if they knew the truth. Shortly after Vi and Josef had decided Vi should go through with the conversion into a Carpathian, Dru had shown back up. She'd been all smiles and twinkling eyes when she'd talked about the Starry one and the Lord of Lies and the Great. And then Starla Andrews had shown up at the Carpathians head quarters. Starla was one of the old-generation of Watcher's prize pupil. He'd called, having a shit fit about Dawn's lack of respect and going on about how she stole his slayer.

After calming the irate and irrational man down, she'd volunteered to bring Starla back to him in New Orleans at the bar called Sanctuary. Unfortunately he didn't show. Three times. Not that she really minded. It was a break from Dru and Vi's utter happiness with her new lifemate. And there was some definite eye candy to be found in the bar. Including the four nearly identical brothers that worked in the bar.

The problem was that they weren't exactly human. And they were quickly figuring out that she and Starla weren't just human either. It would be the one with the meanest gaze and sharpest tongue that would figure it out first. And what a shocker that she was drawn the strongest to him.


	9. Living For the Only Things I Know xx NWO

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Living For the Only Thing I Know  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Hanna-Barbera owns the real Scooby Gang.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Those can't possibly be real! Its just a man in a mask, on P.C.P.  
Words: 220  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Set in the movie 'verse. _New World Order_ subset.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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9. Living For the Only Things I Know

The girl in the bright orange sweater stared down at the pile of dust that was most decidedly _not_ a man in a mask. Her bottom lip trembled as she crumpled to her knees, her khaki pleated skirt fanning out around her scrapped up knees. This couldn't be happening. She didn't resort to violence. She solved the mysteries with cool-headed logic and science. Not a wooden stake!

"You did pretty good for your first time out, Velma," Vi smiled down at the other slayer, her short red hair slipping over her eyes. "Didn't she do good, Carlos?"

"Could've been better," Carlos answered, skimming a hand over his short and extremely gelled hair. The man used more product than Daphne and Freddie combined.

"He exploded into dust," Velma murmured, her bottom lip wibbling as the truth hit her. "He wasn't just a man in a mask."

Watcher and senior Slayer exchanged a worried look. They stepped a few feet away from Velma Dinkley.

"Are you gonna tell her that it was really a girl?" Carlos hissed. "She did _kiss_ it, after all."

"I feel that as Watcher, it's your duty to tell her she had a Katy Perry moment with the her first sanctioned slay, Trejo," Vi whispered. "I had to tell her she was a slayer. Man up already."

"Twit."

"Brat."


	10. Not the Fortunate One xxxxxx Hope Chests

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Not the Fortunate One  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Sandra Hill owns Tante Lulu.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Volunteer work in the bayou.  
Words: 267  
Spoilers: For _So Into You_ by Sandra Hill.  
Series A/N: Yeah, I dont know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: I love Sandra Hills books, which are patented screw-ball romances be they about time-traveling Vikings or Crazy Cajuns. Her books pretty much fall into those two categories. No real spoilers for the Cajun series, Jinx series, or Cajun Angels (I think thats what its called) series. Tante Lulu is just crazy, so I figured theyd' get along famously. Connected to the _Haunted_ subsets, _Dark Inklings_ series. _Hope Chests_ subset.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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10. Not the Fortunate One

When St. Jude or God weren't too busy helpin' Louise Rivard to bring all them crazy LeDeuxs up to shape, they'd cast their eyes to a not-so-little boy on the West Coast. Connor Angel, the only living offspring of two vampires, was currently just where he was supposed to be: Bayou Black. Connor, however wasn't so sure about that when he saw the folk-healer he was supposed to get together with for the volunteer work.

His _other_ mission was to track down the queen of the Ooops Day Troupe, Dawn Summers. Only Vi, her lifemate Josef and Kit Holburn, the watcher on her way to take over for Dawn knew where she had run off to. He hated thinking that something had happened to the younger Summers girl, and something _must _have happened to her and her slayer Starla. Dorian Purcell, Starla's original watcher, had disappeared off the face of the earth not long after summoning the errant slayer back home. Kit had raced East to cover for Dawn, and Connor had raced south to track her down. And do charitable deeds. Whatever.

"You gots a hope chest?"

Connor's head jerked up away from the alligator floating listlessly in the water and his gaze landed on the tiny little woman with crazy bright red wig and a million wrinkles. She also had hot pants on. Connor wasn't sure if he wanted to puke or gouge his eyes out. It took him a minute to realize she was talking to him. Before he could say anything, a clap of thunder came out of nowhere.

"Huh? Did you hear that thunder?"


	11. Call it Hell, Call it Heaven xxxxxxx NWO

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Call It Hell, Call It Heaven  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, ABC owns _According to Jim_.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Slaying is fundamental.  
Words: 175  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _New World Order_ subset - read 'new potentials on parade'.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

11. Call It Hell, Call It Heaven

Ruby glanced back to see if her parents were paying attention. Not likely, seeing as Uncle Andy and her Dad had done something stupid, again, and Mom and Aunt Dana were enjoying watching them suffer. Gracie and Kyle were busy playing with the new babies, and nobody would notice if she slipped out again. She snuck up to the tree house and resumed her conversation.

"Ruby, is everything okay in there?"

"What? Yeah, this happens every week. Dad screws up, Uncle Andy helps him to make it worse, and Mom and Aunt Dana gloat," Ruby sighed. "When did you say I could come to the training camp Ms. Summers?"

"You _want _to come to the monthly training seminars?" Buffy muttered over the line.

"Duh. My family is nuts, and beating the crap out of dummies and hunting vampires in a pack of super strong girls sounds like a great stress reliever. And I've got more than my fair share of stress."

"Okay. We'll send that packet out to you within the week, Ruby."

"Thank God!"


	12. Conjured This Tempestous Rage xxxxxx DG

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Conjured This Tempestuous Rage  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, someone else owns The Witches of Eastwick movie.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Maybe a hostile take-over?  
Words: 671  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Devil's Get_ subset. This has actually been spinning in my head for a couple of years. What ever happened to the three little babies after the end of the movie? I had (at one time) planned a huge multi-cross featuring 'prophecy' kids from all different fandoms. It never panned out perfectly. So here they are, the sons of Alexandra Medford (Darren), Jane Spofford (Sebastian), and Sukie Ridgemont (Nathan). Names made up by me, of course. Born in 1988, making them currently 21.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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12. Conjured This Tempestuous Rage

Eastwick, Rhode Island seemed carefree and bucolic. But then, so had Sunnydale and it had been hiding one of the mouths of Hell, so they would not be taking it at face value. Which, considering they would be living there for four months seemed like a good frame of mind to have for the four Council representatives. Vi, Rona, Kit and Dawn had been in town for all of ten minutes when three motorcycles sped past them.

"Ohmigod," Dawn's eyes bugged out at the sight of the three handsome guys that yanked off their helmets mere moments later.

They were all close in height and build. One had black hair, one had blond hair, and the third had light reddish-blond hair. And each one was gorgeous. Kit whirled around to face her three coworkers.

"Oh, Summers, you were so holding out on this! Hottie central, hells yeah!"

"I thought we banned that phrase from her vocabulary," Rona glared at her. "This is like white folk central. Could you have picked a worse place?"

"Ipswich was choice number two. And besides, look how pretty it is here!" Vi reminded her, her eyes flicking over to the disappearing and delicious backsides of the three guys.

"Throw some too fine for their own good boys into the mix and you all go nuts. Whatever. Four months and then its someone else's problem. Where's the realtors office?"

"Aw, Rona loves us! She's giving in after only a minimal argument," Kit grinned at her, poking the slayer in the ribs. "Admit it, those boys got you drooling, too."

"They are easy on the eyes," Rona rolled her eyes back at the watcher.

"Okay, let's get the show on the road," Dawn sighed, leading the way down the street.

Across the street from them, in the building where the three men had walked into, four women watched them. Like the young men, three of them each had a head of black, red, and blonde hair, and the fourth had dark brown hair. These were the elders.

"Not often we get new people moving into Eastwick," the blonde, Sukie Ridgemont murmured from her window in the town's newspaper office.

"You feel it too, don't you, Sukie?" the redhead, Jane Spofford worried at the curl of hair that had slipped free of the braid of her hair.

"Power practically rolls off of 'em," the raven haired Alexandra Medford shivered.

"But everyone remembers their names," Carol Medford, the oldest child of these three women and the one who'd brought those four young women to the attention of her elders, looked between them now, knowing they were going about 22 years into the past. "Rona Hart, Vi McKay, Kit Holburn and Dawn Summers. They're renting a house not far from the House. But that doesn't mean they're coming to try and oust the coven, Ma."

"The youngest member is only seventeen. We're barely the full thirteen strong, Carol," Alexandra sighed.

"Thirteen strong for what?" A masculine voice broke in, startling the older three women.

"Nothing, Darren. What are you three doing home? I thought you were going away for the summer?" Alex pasted a smile on her face as she leaned forward to give her son, the midnight haired Darren, a peck on the cheek.

"We might still, but we wanted to come home and see our girls," the strawberry blond Sebastian went and kissed his mother Jane on the cheek.

"And Fidel," the youngest and fairest, Nathan wrapped an arm around his mother Sukie and gave all the women a cheeky grin.

They all exchanged a look before turning their gaze on Carol. Rolling her eyes at them she finally huffed. "Okay, so maybe it's not just a weird coincidence. Are you three happy now?"

"Huh?" Nathan frowned.

"I think we missed something, bro," came from Sebastian.

"Does this have something to do with those four girls across the street?" Darren glanced around the mothers to peer out at them.

"No," the mothers answered as one to both the Medford children's questions.


	13. Make Them All Disappear xxxx Devil's Get

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Make Them All Disappear  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, someone else owns the Witches of Eastwick.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Siblings plot to find out about the newcomers.  
Words: 563  
Series A/N: Yeah, I dont know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: ugh, it's getting longer.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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13. Make Them All Disappear

As usual, the three half-brothers decided to not listen to their mothers and let them handle the problem with the newcomers. And for a change, their older sisters all seemed to agree with them. Sitting in the media room with their oldest sister Carol, the three brothers plotted out what to do about their targets, er, new neighbors.

"Personally, I think Mom and the Aunts are overreacting," Carol sighed, her attention partially distracted by the touch phone she was flipping through. The power surged slightly in the room, and all three brothers glanced over at her in concern. Ducking her head, she mumbled, "Bad news from the boyfriend. Or shall I call him, the ex?"

"I'll kick his ass," Darren's brow furrowed, ready to protect his older sister.

"Save the threat for Eleyna's beast of a boyfriend," Carol snorted. "Back to the whole 'the new people are wicked powerful' freak-out the three of them are on and not on my pathetic love life, mmkay?"

"Who are they?" Nathan broke up the tense moment between the two siblings. "The girls?"

"You know how your mom does the whole 'welcome to town' article for the paper? Well, when she wanted to find out about the people who bought the Alden property, they all got suspicious."

"Carol, focus!" Sebastian groaned, raking hand through his hair. "Who the hell are they? And why are the moms suspicious?"

"I'm getting to that, twerp. The property's lease-to-own, since no one's wanted to live there since Mr. Alden killed Mrs. Alden. The people who bought the property are called the NIWC, and the four women are listed as short-term property managers."

"Mom, Aunt Jane and Aunt Sukie are getting worked up over property flippers?" Darren scoffed, digging his hand into the bowl of popcorn Fidel had brought them minutes ago.

"That's what I said! Mom claims she felt a charge when she first set eyes on them, and Aunt Sukie backed her up when she met up with two of them at the market. Somehow, we've got to convince them that they're just crazy," Carol sighed, her phone vibrating to life. "I've got to take this call."

The three brothers stared at Carol's retreating back before glancing at each other. The flat-screen to the left flickered briefly before all three shut it down. They didn't need to deal with _him_ on top of their mothers' freak-outs. They had enough to deal with - between the three of them they had ten sisters to worry about. While the elder sisters - Carol and Sukie's six girls: Tessa, Jenna, Lula, Mae, Leigh, and Winnie - had all come from their first marriages, there were the three surprise daughters that had been born like stair-steps two years after all three boys were born. Sukie had her last baby, Maya two years to the day after Nathan had been born, Jane had her daughter Sophia a year later, leaving Eleyna Medford as the family baby at seventeen. The brothers saw it as their obligation to protect their family, even if the threat was just one pedaling around in their mothers' heads.

"So what do we do about them?" Nathan sighed, bringing them back to the problem.

"Four girls, three of us. We could seduce them to get information out of them," Sebastian grinned.

"Oh, yeah, something fun to do in town."


	14. I Never Really Gave Up xxxxx Devil's Get

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: I Never Really Gave Up  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, someone else owns the Witches of Eastwick. I own the baby sisters!  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: And the Eldest shall confront the weakest of the four  
Words: 534  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Four girls, three boys, and ten meddling sisters who will Gibbs-smack them across the head for any and all idiocy that occurs.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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14. I Never Really Gave Up

Kit was jogging. Why, she wasn't quite sure. Her and exercise were pretty much non-mixy things, but she had to keep up with the other three health freaks who had way more energy to burn off than she did. Some days she really hated them. Finally waving them on, she pulled up for a minute, walking the ache out of her much-abused poor legs. She leaned forward, rubbing idly at the outside of her thighs, wishing she'd skipped the pie at the diner last night.

"Everything okay?"

Kit jerked up abruptly to stare in utter shock at one of the Motorcycle Hotties. After their first day in Eastwick, she, Dawn and Vi had been scoping out the Motorcycle Hotties, who they learned were the only sons of the local coven of Wicca. Sure, it was hard to wring out the truth from anybody, but the town was convinced that very spooky things had happened in Eastwick. Dawn had crowed about her being right about it being a power nexus for days. And now, son of said coven was standing behind her very sweaty, very unattractive self. This couldn't be good.

"Anybody home?" A big hand did a quick swipe past her face.

"Um, yeah. Sorry, what?" Kit leaned back.

"You looked like you were hurt. Are you?"

"Uh, no, just sadly out of shape," Kit winced at her own pathetic self.

A lock of dark wavy hair slipped over his eyes as his head as he gave her the standard up-and-down. God, did all hot guys have to be that predictable? And never mind that it gave her really good tingles, because, let's face it - she was not smelling like daisies. She smelled like stinky old sweat, and he smelled really musky and yummy. Grr. A sexy grin crossed his lips as he spoke.

"You look fine to me," he held a hand out to her as her cheeks reddened. "Darren Medford."

"Kit Holburn."

"You're new in town."

"Wow, are you psychic, or do you have connections in the realtor's office?"

"My cousin works there, Tessa Ridgemont."

"I met her when we signed for the keys. She seems nice."

"She is. Too nice for her own good, some say."

"Ah, you need those kinds of people. Makes up for all the assholes and lechers," Kit crossed her arms over her chest.

"Now, what makes me think that you don't like me?"

"You're too cute for your own good."

"Kit, you coming with - oh, never mind," Dawn glanced back at her as the other three started to circle back to her.

"I'm joining you guys," Kit glared at the wide grins on her friends faces. "Catch ya later, Medford."

"Hey, Holburn, what do you say to dinner and a movie?"  
"I'd say you're one of the lechers," Kit jogged off to join the others.

They waited until they rounded the corner and half-way home before peppering her with questions.

"Suffice it to say, I think we're making the coven nervous," Kit sighed, yanking the door shut behind her.

"Why?"

"Because they're sending the big guns out to question us," she plopped down into the chair. "And damn if they aren't so very tempting."


	15. A Cry in the Distance xxxxxx Devil's Get

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: A Cry in the Distance  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-18  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, someone else owns the Witches of Eastwick.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: The youngest sets up to snag the slayer.  
Words: 613  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Um, the renting bit about the movie actually happened to me. That's what I get for looking at the picture and saying oooh, that looks good. It of course, explains the silly grins the guys who rang me up gave me.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

15. A Cry in the Distance

Despite all of their misgivings, Kit did go out with Darren - as a routine researching mission. Vi shook her head. None of them - maybe with the exception of Rona, had their heads on straight when it came to cute boys. Maybe it was because she was the oldest, or maybe it was because she had the hots for some watcher who was going through training right now. Knowing that the three sons of the coven were getting itchy about them, and knowing that Kit was falling hard for the cutie Darren, they decided to go out in pairs when possible. There were two rogue hotties out there, and the three remaining girls seemed like prime targets.

Nonetheless, not two days after make the slightly drunken promise, Vi found herself in the video store by herself. Drooling over all of the videos in the store that was going out of business because of the new big box video place. They were so pretty and she had so much money to spend from her Council stipend.

"Odd, I thought I'd find you in the romantic comedy section," a husky voice said playfully from just behind her right shoulder.

Vi didn't even stop to think, her elbow jerked back into the stomach of one of the sons. She did stop herself from hitting him further, but just barely. Her eyes widened and she grimaced at her own strength and stupidity.

"I'm sorry, but you really shouldn't sneak up on me."

"I should know better," the bent over figure shook his golden head. "I've got seven sisters."

"Ouch."

"You didn't answer my question." He took a deep breath as he straightened back up.

"I don't even know your name," Which was a lie. Dawn had been meticulous in her research.

"Nathan Ridgemont," a sexy grin slipped over his lips. "And you would be Vi, right?"

"Okay, now you're freaking me out," the red-head shook her shoulders as a shiver went down her spine. "You think you know what kind of movies I like and you know my name."

"Just your first name. Kind of like Cher, really."

"And I don't like rom-coms, they're all predictable," Vi turned away from Nathan and glanced back at the wall of clearance DVDs.

"And Horror and High Fantasy aren't?" Nathan grinned.

"Nope. Sometimes everybody dies and the killer wins, or the evil emperor slays the hero. Its a crap shoot and they're not all predictable," Vi turned back to him.

"And this, what do you think of it?"

Vi glanced at the cover of the DVD. Her cheeks turned bright red. Dawn had picked it out last month from Andrew's collection to borrow for Vi's new collection. They hadn't known it was from his 'private' collection. They'd gotten through maybe three scenes before they realized it was a soft-core porno.

"Its a little unrealistic."

"Its _Pirates_ but with sex scenes and comedy," Nathan smirked at her.

"Doesn't matter. Look at that, I've got to go."

Vi, still blushing gathered up her videos and went to check out. She'd barely pushed out of the doors when she felt a yank on the plastic bag. A glance over her shoulder confirmed that it was Nathan. Her cheeks turned even redder as she saw the movie in question and its sequel slip into her bag.

"Just in case you ever want to try and change your opinion about them, I'd be more than happy to have a private viewing with you."

"I - I-"

"See ya around, Vi."

She practically ran home, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. Rona and Dawn looked at her like she was crazy. Clearing her throat and hiding her bag of goodies behind her, she gave them a tiny smile.

"Well, I think our plan is working."


	16. No Apologies

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: No Apologies  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Kripke owns the Supernatural stuff.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Amulet theft. Hijinks ensue.  
Words: 703  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Hit me while I was doing laundry. Also, my lyric writing skills kinda suck. Sorry. Set in season three (and I've been watching too many British TV shows - I typed series before I wrote season.)

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

16. No Apologies

They were fricken' singing. And not the latest pop/emo crap station. They were busting out in song like they were the friggin' Von Trapps, and there was no way in hell Dean was admitting hed seen _The Sound of Music _to justify his knowledge of the dreaded genre.

"So we're thinking demon?" Dean crooned, ala Frank Sinatra style to Sam as back-up dancers started to tap rhythmically on the counter of the dinner they were in.

"I'm sure we could be dreamin', but it's definitely a demon," Sams eyes widened frighteningly at the way he was answering like a mix between Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin.

_"They say it could be a demon, but we think that they're dreamin'. How could it be true, that a demon could screw with you?"_ the back-up singers shrugged their shoulders in time as they did half spins on the seats.

"Oh, not again!" a brunette sitting at the table across from them let her head hit the table rather dramatically as the other woman watched her curiously. "I thought that amulet got sucked down into the bowels of Sunnydale!"

"I think we found a clue!" Dean jumped up, slapping his hands on the table before stalking over to the other table.

"How'd we get to be like Scooby-Doo?"

Three hours, and five unwanted songs that revealed much of Dean's anxiety about going to Hell and Sam's insistence on breaking the deal for his brother, not to mention the two women and their own anxiety having to do with locks, destinies and the shadow of a woman named Buffy, the four unlikely traveling companions found themselves in front of Bela Talbot's house.

The singing had stopped the second they'd crossed over the town line, thankfully. Dean had managed to sneak all of them into her new apartment and by-passed her over-charged-for security system with ridiculous ease.

Bela had just been patting herself on the back for another difficult acquisition and inflicting trouble off on the bumbling Winchester brothers when she spotted them sitting in her living room. Before she could reach for her gun, she felt a tapping on her shoulder. Whirling around, a fist met her face before she could even see her attacker.

"Well, that was easy," Sam grinned, palming the Colt that they'd found in her safe.

"How do we stop the singing and dancing in Everett?" Dean asked as they stowed Bela and the amulet in the back of the Impala between Faith and Dawn.

"We gotta give Sweets that damn amulet," Faith sighed, shoving Bela's now drooling and bruising face off of her shoulder. "Then he'll stop with the damn song and dance routine."

"How do we find him?" Sam asked, slipping into the passenger side.

"Um, I don't think that's gonna be a problem," Dawn's face paled as her hand popped through the space between the brothers.

The red-skinned, Kewpie doll headed demon stood with three puppet-headed minions flocking him. He did a quick little two-step before leaning through the driver's side window. His too-bright grin widened as his gaze landed on Dawn.

"Ah, my little bride-that-could-not-be, I see you just couldn't get enough of me," Sweets crooned.

"Don't you see, it wasn't me - I couldn't be -" Dawn cut herself off from singing 'stupid'. "It was she, this hootchie." She jabbed a finger in Bela's direction.

"She thinks you're a hottie," Faith looked like she was going to be violently ill with the singing.

Sweets seemed pleased at this news, and no one had any objection when his minions carted off his new bride, including the unconscious bride. Once the singing had passed, Dawn thought to ask the moral dilemma of the day.

"Should we feel bad for letting Sweets just take Bela like that?"

"Bitch made everyone act like they were in High School Musical, so my vote's going for no," Faith snorted.

"She stole the Colt and shot Sammy. Hell no," Dean gunned the engine.

"And she was heading to hell anyway. Let Sweets and Lilith battle it out over who gets custody of Bela."

"Just as long as he doesn't come looking for me again and the amulet is safely with -" Dawn patted her pocket. "Um, guys, where's the amulet?"


	17. Tell You Something xxxxxxxxx Devil's Get

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Tell You Something  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, someone else owns the Witches of Eastwick.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Seducer turned seduced.  
Words: 507  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Yes, I actually danced around my kitchen singing. I blame it on the Holiday and my having to work an open.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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17. Tell You Something

She was shaking her hips and singing loudly off-key. Her shoulders shimmied to the beat of big band music, and for once, Sebastian Spofford was stunned speechless. The leggy brunette spun around on her heel and did another little shimmy.

"Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets," Dawn crooned, pulling the broom handle to her lips. "And little man, Lola wants youuuuu!"

She pulled the broom around the porch and did a little tango with it. Her long hair fanned around her. Sebastian just watched her, completely caught up in the crazy little number she was putting on.

"You know, you can stop watching me now, its getting awkward," Dawn sighed, minutes later as she wrapped up her private show with a big hand waving finish.

"Awkward for whom? I'm enjoying myself thoroughly," Sebastian raked a hand through his strawberry blonde hair and gave her one of those patented Van Horne (not that she knew it, seeing as she only knew him as a Spofford) smirks.

"Yeah, I can see," Dawn let her eyes dip to his stomach before blinking them back up to his face. "So I'm the chosen one? You're not gonna try and mack on Rona?"

"Rona'd probably deck me, and she doesn't seem to like my poor brothers either."

"So I'm safe?" her hip popped to the right, her head tilting to the side.

"Safer, and I like to think cuter."

"You do realize that's one of my friends you're pretty much calling a dog, right?"

"I never said she was a dog," Sebastian grinned again. "I just said I thought you were cuter. Matter of opinion, really."

"What do you want, Spofford?"

"You know my name, Summers, I'm impressed."

"Yeah, well your brothers are dating my friends, so I should know your name, dork," Dawn rolled her eyes at him. "Plus, I've met your sister at the library last week and she was telling me what an utter creep you are."

"I'm going to wring Sophia's neck," Sebastian groaned, knowing that Sophia had probably told Dawn everything from the Girlfriend wagers to the time she caught him with a girl in their old treehouse.

"For saying how you used to behead her Barbie dolls?"

Dawn let the grin take over her face. He was fun to pick on, and she totally understood now why Spike did it all the time. Sebastian was afraid Sophia had said something worse than the whole Barbie doll issue, and she probably should have let him sweat it a bit longer.

"So, are you gonna ask me out? Because Darren asked Kit out by complementing her figure, and Nathan used dirty DVDs, and so far all I'm getting is a bad come on and an admittance of lewd behavior. So disappointing," Dawn sighed, skirting past him. She was half-way to the door before it sunk in that he was striking out. Quickly closing the door in his face, she rounded the corner to find her three friends feigning disinterest. "I think its time to call in the big guns."


	18. Sharing Pieces of the Memories xxxx SBPD

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Sharing Pieces of the Memories  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, USA owns Psych.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Gus has a crush.  
Words: 132  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _SPBD_ subset  
A/N2: Also, I'm taking requests for this year's B.I.C. Challenge. Check my profile for the details. Deadline's 12/10/2010.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

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18. Sharing Pieces of the Memories

"I like her," Gus quiet-argued with Shawn.

"She's such a bit-"

"Shawn."

"-ter wench. She's ruining my psychic vibe."

"Shawn, you don't have a psychic vibe about this case. You don't even have a clue."

"But I could. And she's totally ruining the potential."

"Shawn."

"Any day, ladies," Kate snapped, shoving past them to get into the warehouse where the victim was.

Gus and Shawn followed her in, bickering the entire time. It turned out that a victim with a torn out throat could render the duo speechless. Kate's ears were still ringing with their high-pitched screams of terror, when she realized she would have to call in a favor from an old aquaintance. Somehow, she didn't think that Angel would go over well with the SPBD's resident psychic and his sidekick.


	19. I'm Leaving Today xxxxxxxxxx Devil's Get

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: I'm Leaving Today  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, someone else owns the Witches of Eastwick.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Confab and conclusion  
Words: 766  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: End of the _Devil's Get_ subset.  
A/N2: Also? Taking requests for this year's B.I.C. Challenge. Hit my profile for the details.

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31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

19. I'm Leaving Today

Dawn, Kit, Vi, and Rona sat at one of the long library tables with the ten sisters of the Eastwick coven. It was an array of blondes with two specks of ebony and a dot of red, and it was a little intimidating. The four Council members had met with them on various occasions, but in much smaller groups.

"There's something seriously wrong with your brothers," Rona said bluntly. It was easier for her - she had no emotional attachment to the brothers, and thus had no need to impress their sisters.

"Well, duh," the youngest brunette rolled her eyes. "We already knew that. They're _our_ brothers!"

"Eleyna," Carol sighed, giving her sister a look. "We know they're trying to seduce you. We're blaming their father."

"The demon?"

All of the sisters stopped and stared at Rona. They'd heard Daryl Van Horne was _the_ Devil, not a mere demon. Rona seemed to realize that as she spoke.

"Darrial VaHore is a demon, a VaHore demon to be exact, and has got about nine lives. We researched him. He's a compulsion and enhancement demon," Kit explained.

"He poses as the devil, but really, he's the puppet to the giant who lives in your house."

Dawn didn't add that she was fairly certain the three youngest daughters were most likely the daughters of Fidel. There was no proof, but she was pretty sure he was a fertility demigod that had worked in collusion with VaHore.

"Take that back about Fidel!" One of the blondes snapped, glaring at them.

"Okay. He's not the puppet master. Whatever. Your moms are being compelled to freak out about us, and your brothers are being compelled to take up daddy's reins and seduce my girls," Rona rolled her eyes at the sisters. "Luckily, Dawn saw the signs and they've been playing hard to get."

"Not from what we saw," Maya, the youngest blonde glared at Vi, while Sophia, the red-head glared at Dawn.

"It's been fun while it's lasted, but we don't want to date your brothers while they're under a spell," Kit snapped, leveling both girls with the same glare they gave her friends. "So you lot have to strap on your big girl garters and fix this crap! We researched the spell. And as far as we know about Fidel, the friendly giant, he's _not_ working with VaHore on this. So your step-daddy is not on our slay list."

After another hour of bickering between the two groups of girls, they all settled on a game plan and met back at the mansion. They argued with the mothers for another half-hour before finally evicting the VaHore compulsions on the mothers and sons.

"What now?" Vi asked as they made their way down the long road back to town. She didn't really want to end things with Nathan this way. From the looks on Kit and Dawns faces they didn't either.

"We go back to the house and wait and see. If they - if they have real feelings for us, they should come back to us," Dawn bit at her lip, looking away from them.

"And if they don't, well, then I say fuck them. We're hot, magically inclined girls and we can do better than some beyotch male weyotches," Kit said thickly, sniffing a little.

"You all are gonna be heartbroken shells if that happens," Rona groaned, really hoping those boys pulled through and were not major douche bags.

"We're not gonna test that theory," a male voice said from in front of them.

Kit, Vi and Dawn's heads jerked up as they saw the brothers race up to them. Nathan scooped up Vi like she weighed nothing, reminding Rona of that scene at the end of _The Little Mermaid, _except Vi's prince was blonde. Sebastian yanked Dawn forward and planted an old school Hollywood back-bending kiss to her lips. And Darren pulled Kit forward for a tender caress and kiss.

"I'm gonna be ill over here," Rona groaned, willing herself to not tear up at the lame ass girly-girl display that made her heart wibble a bit.

Up at the mansion, Fidel, Sukie, Jane and Alexandra wiped away tears of their own as their little boys went to their girls. Fidel gave them a wide grin as he spoke in a whisper that only reached the mothers ears.

"Three down, ten to go. Eleven if you count that slayer."

Because Fidel was more than a fertility demigod. He was also a practicing matchmaker, and he wanted all of his children to be happy, despite what VaHore wanted from him.


	20. You Don't Need It xxxxx NWO:Mystery Spot

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: You Don't Need It  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, ABC owns Castle.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Complications arise in ever Watchers career.  
Words: 472  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _New World Order: Mystery Spot _subset within a subset. It ate my brain, what can I say? Also, my computer was evil and I had to rewrite this **_twice_ **from memory. Grrargh.  
A/N2: I'm taking requests for this year's B.I.C. challenge. Check my profile for details.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

20. You Don't Need It

"Who are you again, my dear?" Martha Rodgers narrowed her gaze on the willowy brunette who'd shown up at Richard's apartment just at the start of the party.

"Dawn Summers, Alexis's tutor?" Dawn gave her a small smile as she sipped at her soda.

"Tutor? Whatever does our dear girl need a tutor for?"

"Alexis is an extraordinarily bright young woman, but even the brightest people have trouble learning some of the harder Eastern and Eastern European languages," Dawn was amazed how easily the lie left her lips. Alexis picked up tongues almost as easily as she herself did. "And learning multiple languages can be difficult."

"You're rather young to be a teacher."

"I'm a tutor. I'm working my way toward my teaching certificate." Another partial lie. Though, she was picking up a minor in secondary education. But she'd been around Alexis for nearly six years, rather than the year and a half the Castles thought she'd been around.

"Ah," Martha gave a cunning smile as she saw Alexis snake her way through the crowd of costumed party-goers. The red-headed teen stopped to talk to two reasonably good looking men before making a beeline to Dawn and Martha, who took a sip of her drink. "I had rather thought there was an ulterior motive for Alexis inviting her teacher."

"Hmm?" Dawn frowned at Alexis, who stopped next to her grandmother.

"Our little Alexis is playing matchmaker, isn't she? Don't bother to deny it, darling, we saw you stop and speak with Detectives Ryan and Esposito."

"Matchmaker?" Dawn choked a bit on her soda, her eyes widening in horror.

"Grandma, you spoiled the surprise!" Alexis hissed, giving Dawn a secret look. "It's a bit stuffy in here, I thought I'd take Miss Summers out on the balcony for some air."

"Fine idea, darling," Martha chuckled as Alexis crossed over to Dawn's side. "And conveniently located next to the handsome detectives."

Dawn let out a squawk of protest as Alexis wove her arm through hers, and started to drag the Watcher over towards the detectives.

"You are not going all _Emma_ on me, you little ingrate!" Dawn hissed quietly.

"Of course not," Alexis rolled her eyes. "But I had to get you in the apartment to see the notes Dad made on the slayings. I've been working on your cover story for weeks with Grandma and Dad."

"You know watchers and cops are non-mixy things, Alexis," Dawn shot a furtive glance at the two detectives. "Even if they are slightly good-looking."

"Slightly?" Alexis frowned at her.

"Whatever," Dawn huffed.

"Besides, it was either them or me telling Dad you had a crush on him."

"Oh god," Dawn looked even more horrified.

"He would immediately go to the dark place with that one," Alexis agreed.

"Well, let's try to make this as painless as possible."


	21. Through Your Weakest xxxxxx Haunted:Lies

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Through Your Weakest Moments  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Gena Showalter owns the Lords  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Bondage was not on the menu for the night.  
Words: 752  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Haunted: Lies_.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

21. Through Your Weakest Moments

Kit woke with the strangest idea that she'd been snubbed, slapped, stabbed and stunned. Then the events of the last twelve hours slammed back into her mind and she started to jump up. Only to realize she'd been bandaged and cuffed to the wall.

"What the fuck?" she murmured, tugging experimentally on the chains. "Who chains girls...FUCK! Not again!"

The blue haired man strode out of the shadows, drawing her attention away from the really nasty thoughts she'd been having. He crouched down in front of her, his dark eyes locking on hers. Kit frowned. Hadn't he been kinda there to save her ass earlier?

"What the fuck, dude. First you cant be bothered, then you ride up all cavalry-esque, and now you wanna play 'tie me up, tie me down'? Just because I'm gross and bloody right now does not mean I dig that vibe, okay?" Kit said wearily. "The rest of the ODT was gonna have a field day with this when she spilled the beans. And they had ways of making her talk.

"I know you're not Kit Holburn, and that you do get off a bit on being tied up."

"Huh?" Kit frowned at the sexy-voiced bastard. Did he have to be so hot and muscle-y? That wasn't even fair. "Of course that's my name! Who the hell stabbed me, and then tied me up?"

"That would not be me."

"Okay - this is worse than Yoda-speak, you do realize that, right?"

"No, I don't realize that," he said, but he nodded his head yes.

"And I am too fucked up to follow this," Kit groaned.

_"You_ are _not_ named _Kit Holburn_," he bit out. "I am _not_ Gideon."

"So by insane-hot-guy-logic, you _are_ Gideon?"

"No," but again, he nodded.

"And the sick motherfuckers who jumped me in the back alley were after you?"

"Never," was snorted out with an eye roll.

"All because you said five sentences to me, they decided to Vader-choke me but with skin privileges. And you and the stud-muffin golden-boy stumbled to my rescue? What are you - a couple?" Okay, that last bit was a bit spiteful, but _he'd_ gotten her in this mess.

"William is _so_ my super-secret boyfriend," he bit out, his nostrils flaring at the very suggestion.

"And I stab-stabbed that bastard in the - in the..."

"Spine. It was him or you."

Kit's eyes, which had been watering up as the thought of killing another _human_ being actually hit her, snapped up to connect with those dark kohl eyes that could pull her under. He grit his teeth as rapid shudders worked their way violently through his body.

"Are you okay?" Kit tugged on her chains to help him, but they held fast.

"Pe-peachy," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"He can't tell the truth, if he does, he gets zapped with immense pain," William of the super-secret boyfriend fame said from the corner. "His demon has an aversion to the truth, but you probably already knew that, bait."

"Fuck off," Gideon spat through gritted teeth.

"I second that emotion," Kit snapped. "I am not jail bait, even though I find that kind of sweet that you think that. Which probably means I've completely lost it."

"Oh, sweetheart, you're a babe in the woods compared to us."

"Oh yeah, tell that to my puissant piss ants who tell me I'm a dried up old hag because I'm over twenty."

"Strong insignificant people? Isn't that -"

"Shut it, boy-band," Kit snapped glaring at him. It was a _perfect_ description for the mini-slayers she tutored. "Back to the bait issue. Why would those freaks want you in jail?"

"They want me dead," Gideon bit out. Huh, the tremors werent that bad that time. Weird.

"Ooohkay...why?"

"Did you miss the demon part?" William and Gideon shared a 'what has _she_ been smoking' look.

"No, I didn't. I work with demons. And have half-demon friends, and full demon friends. Some of them aren't as hot-boy as you two, but they're good-ish folks. Sure, sometimes they have to be killed if they're planning on taking over the world, but its generally live and let live, you know?"

"Maybe _that's_ why the Hunters wanted to kill her," William crossed his arms and studied her like a bug. The perv.

"Maybe that's why she's the perfect bait."

"Oh, once I"m outta these chains, I'm kicking your demon-boy ass. I am not BAIT! Fuck! But I am gonna be in serious shit for leaving a slayer unattended!"


	22. You Can Be So Cruel xx NWO: Mystery Spot

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: You Can Be So Cruel  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, ABC owns Castle  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Its not you, its me. Honest.  
Words: 270  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _New World Order: Mystery Spot _subset within a subset. It ate my brain, what can I say?

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

22. You Can Be So Cruel

"Hey, Detectives Ryan and Esposito, I'd like you to meet my tutor, Dawn Summers," Alexis gave the two officers a butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth smile that made Dawn want to strangle the teenager.

"Hello, Detectives. Alexis says you work with her father?" Dawn felt her eye start to twitch.

"More like baby-sit," Detective Ryan chuckled. "Sorry, Alexis."

"Do you go to school with Alexis?"

"God, no!" Dawn shuddered. Both officers looked at her funny. "Uh, I mean, I'm not in high school. I mean, I work in her high school, but I'm not a student. And high school is so much better when you're not a student. I-"

"Are Willow babbling," Alexis gave her a slayer-powered nudge that made Dawn wince. The little brat. "_Miss_ Summers is working toward getting her teaching degree, and is doing extra-credit work while waiting for her student teaching placement."

"Which will hopefully lead to elementary school, because high school is a painful experience I'd rather not relive. Ever," Dawn sighed.

"Ah, makes the uh, Willow-babble make sense," Esposito grinned at her. He - they both were cute. Too bad it was Buffy-dating-rule number six: no one in law enforcement, because slayers and watchers were just _this_ side of vigilante which could lead to complications.

"Uh, are you supposed to be working?" Ryan asked, a frown crossing his lips.

"What? Uh, no," Dawn felt her spine stiffen. "Why?"

"Because Castle's glaring at you like you snuck in to the party or something," Esposito answered, following his partner's gaze.

"What?" Dawn's eyes widened in fear. She was so going to strangle her slayer for getting her into this situation.


	23. If You Really Wanna Get xxxx Hope Chests

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: If You Really Want to Get Lost  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Sandra Hill owns Tante Lulu, Kresley Cole owns Nucking Futs Nïx.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Thunder followed by hot crazy chick.  
Words: 349  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Hope Chests, part 2. And have I gushed on how much I love Kresley Cole? Because she fairly rocks.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

23. If You Really Want to Get Lost

Connor stared numbly at the one-person-wrecking crew in the form of the hot-pants wearing granny in front of him. She'd been determined to find him his soul mate. Seeing as he was the mind-wiped son of two vampires and had grown up in a hell dimension, he wasn't so sure on her luck of finding him the perfect woman. God knew, she'd tried her crazy Cajun ass off in the attempt.

Tante Lulu had just left him after an _hour long_ conversation about wearing the right kind of underwear for attracting the right kind of woman when the thunder clapped again. Connor smacked his head forcefully on the sawhorse and closed his eyes against the crack of lightening.

Or was that the gun of a suped-up engine racing up the gravel and dirt drive of the property he was working on? The hair on the back of his neck rose and the Destroyer in him rose to full attention. Connor slapped a palm on the heavy hammer in his hand and whirled to face the newcomer.

And was shocked to see the petite woman with slightly pointed ears grinning at him like a fool behind the wheel of a truck that practically screamed mine's-bigger-than-yours. Gunn would have killed for one of those to tool around in. She winked at him and gunned the engine again.

"You coming Connor, son of Angel?" She cried over the engine. And Connor promptly lost his good mood. "Aw, and you looked so sexy, and all Thor-like with that hammer of doom."

"Huh?"

"As eloquent as the leech, huh?" she cackled. "Two by two, the species align. Follow Auntie Nïx down the rabbit-hole, baby. You'll like where it leads. Promise! And tell Unkie Spike that Nucking Futs sends her love!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Nïx gunned the engine again and peeled off back from whence she came. Connor dropped the hammer dully to the ground and scrambled for his sat-phone. Angel and Spike had to know something about this Nïx chick. Connor had a bad feeling he was gonna have to follow her.


	24. World Carries On Without xx Haunted:Lies

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: The World Carries On Without You  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Gena Showalter owns the Lords of the Underworld.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Kit's still in a dungeon, and facing certain death. . .right?  
Words: 721  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Last part in the _Haunted: Lies_ subset.

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

24. The World Carries On Without You

When Kit woke up next, she was in a much more comfortable space. They'd lowered the chains, given her some kind of cushion to sit on, and a pretty woman had joined William in glaring down at her.

"Oh, joy, girl time," Kit snorted, resting her head in her hands.

"She's spunky, I like her," the woman grinned down at her.

"Anya, you like everyone who kills Hunters," William snorted.

"Anya?" Kit fought at the clump in her throat. She'd only met Anya the former Vengeance demon a few times hanging around Dawn, and losing her had hit the Scoobies hard.

"Oh, you've heard about me?"

"No. I knew a sarcastic, sex and money happy Vengeance demon who went by the same name. She's dead. And you aren't her," Kit snapped.

"That sounds a bit like our Anya," William said, "Except for the whole Vengeance demon bit."

"I'm a goddess, thank you very much," Anya snorted. "And the Keeper of Death's mate."

"Huh?"

Anya frowned at her, then stared at William for a minute.

"I thought you said she was _bait_."

"I said she said something about _slayer_, she denies being bait."

_"She_ is sitting right here, and I have no clue what you freak shows are talking about," Kit grit her teeth and nodded to the small pile of her belongs in the opposite corner. She would mourn the death of her new jacket and kick-ass sat-phone when she got free. "I'm part of the NIWC, ODT Divison. I'm on my way to a new assignment and I got into all of this mess because of your friend Gideon. Those guys jumped me in the alley when I was just trying to get back to my hotel. Double check my ID if you don't believe me."

"We've already got Torin looking into it," a tall man emerged from the shadows, his weird mismatched eyes and somber expression freaking her out just a tiny bit.

"Never heard of NIWC. What do you do with them?"

"Tech support, partially. Receptionist and Research, for the most part," Kit bit her lip, thinking about the Cult of the Bleeding Heart, Dawn and the errant mini-slayer, and Vi and her Lifemate. Even Connor was busy being a good citizen down in New Orleans, and providing back-up for Dawn if she needed it. What was Kit contributing? Nothing but playing deadbeforecredits #1. Because there was no way in hell they were gonna just let her go. She'd seen too much. "I'm just the back-up. I came here to relieve another Research Assistant who had to go back to the states."

"What's a slayer?" William demanded, getting in her face.

"Look, we both know you're just gonna kill me, so get it the fuck over with," Kit fought the tears. She was _not_ going to cry. "You killed those assholes that jumped me, so don't act like you're not willing to go above and beyond to keep it wrapped up. Don't fucking toy with me. You've already stabbed me once."

"That was Gideon, and technically, he was only trying to stab the Hunter on top of you. He made us bandage you up," Anya shrugged at this.

"Why?" Kit frowned at them. "Why fix me up if you're just gonna kill me?"

"Did _we_ say we were gonna kill her, Lucian?" Anya blinked up innocently at the man with the mismatched eyes.

"Oh, we're _definitely _all for killing her," Gideon strode into the dungeon room, shouldering past Lucian and William, keys in his hand. His eyes were flashing angrily at the three of them as he fumbled with the locks around Kit's wrists. His eyes softened a bit when they met hers. His thumb brushed away the tear that must have fallen during her speech. "Her story didn't check out. She's not an innocent."

"Which in crazy boy speak," Kit shuddered as Gideon scooped her up. "Means you're not killing me, it did check out, and I am."

"Whatever," Gideon said gruffly. "Everybody follow me to my room and I'll totally hug you."

Anya chuckled at Gideon. Hopefully, this Kit chick would mellow out Lies, just as she had mellowed out Death. . .or, rather, raised the freak flag higher for her lover.

"Who was this chick using my name?" Anya cried, her mind re-focusing on the deceased Vengeance demon.


	25. On the Darker Side xxxx NWO:Mystery Spot

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: You're on the Darker Side of Town  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, ABC owns Castle  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Speculation about a tutor.  
Words: 626  
Series A/N: Yeah, I dont know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _New World Order: Mystery Spot _subset within a subset. It ate my brain, what can I say?

__

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

25. Your'e on the Darker Side of Town

"Who's the woman with Alexis?" Detective Kate Beckett asked, glancing at the two girls heading toward Ryan and Esposito. She slid her gaze to meet Richard Castle's. "She your new chippie?"

"Who uses that word, and God, no!" Castle shuddered at the very thought. "She's Alexis's tutor."

"Why is Alexis's tutor at your party?" Beckett frowned, glancing back over at the woman who looked pained and twitchy.

"Alexis is determined to play matchmaker," Castle frowned. "At least, that's what my mother told me."

"And she's your daughter's tutor?"

"Yes," Castle's frown deepened. "Alexis is sure, in her limited dealings with our co-workers -"

"Whose co-workers?" Beckett cocked her head at him, her gaze narrowing.

_"Your_ distinguished colleagues, but you're arguing semantics," Castle snorted.

"I don't remember you being on the city's payroll, Castle," Beckett cocked her head to the side.

"But I do assist you."

"For your benefit, Castle. _Heat Wave_, remember?"

"Whatever," Castle looked confused. "What were we talking about?"

"Alexis thinking her unnamed tutor is perfect for Ryan or Esposito."

"Right."

Beckett waited for him to continue, but Castle was actually silent for several minutes. She narrowed her eyes at him in frustration, but he still didn't get the prompting.

"And?"

"And what? That was the end of the conversation."

"Then why does she keep glancing your way?" Beckett asked.

"What now?" Castle's head jerked around to spot the woman looking away. "No. No."

"How well do you know her, Castle?" Beckett bit back a grin. She loved yanking his chain.

"She's been Alexis's tutor for almost two years. I had her vetted. She's never even heard of my books," Castle looked a little put out by that fact.

"And you don't think Alexis maybe used Ryan and Esposito as an excuse to bring you two into more intimate and familiar contact?" a hint of a smile crept up her lips. "Even, dare I suggest, _romantic _contact?"

"Gah! Now I'm having flashes of _The Hand That Rocks the Cradle_, thank you very much!" Castle glared at her, but the frown was back in a flash. "Except, she never speaks to me. . ."

"You sound almost sad about that, Castle."

"No, I'm just thinking that I know _nothing _about her," he shifted his gaze back to the tutor. "Except her name."

"Castle, I was only -"

"But she's been working with Alexis for almost _two years_. I should know more than her name!"

"Castle, you're jumping to conclusions. She just looks uncomfortable because you're her employer and she's making time with -"

"I didn't."

"Huh?"

"I didn't hire her, and I don't pay her. So technically, I'm not her employer."

"Then who arranged the tutoring? And why does Alexis _need_ tutoring?" Beckett frowned, glancing back over at the woman.

"I don't know!" Castle stared at the woman and the two detectives who were looking at him like he was crazy.

"But you said you vetted her, Castle. How can you have _vetted_ _her_ and not know anything about her?"

"It's complicated. And starting to sound like a Lynsay Sands novel."

"A who novel?"

"Lynsay Sands, she's an, er, romance writer," Castle actually blushed a little.

"A romance novelist?"

"Yeah, I might have read one of her books by accident."

"All the way through?"

"It's not like I could put it down without solving the mystery of who was trying to kill the heroine!" Castle cried defensively.

"And how does this relate to Alexis's tutor?"

"Well, she tends to make the murderous fiend a long time female friend or companion, someone whos been innocuous throughout the rest of the novel and even helpful at times."

"Tends to?"

"It was more then one, okay? Can we get back to the woman who wants to make a stew out of my beloved pet rabbit?" Castle cried.

"You don't have a pet rabbit, and that didn't happen in _The Hand That Rocks the Cradle_, Castle. That was _Fatal Attraction_."

"I could!"

"What's her name, Castle?"

"Who's name?"

"Alexis's tutor?"

"Oh, uh, Dawn Summers."


	26. Don't Know What We'll Be xxx Hope Chests

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: We Don't Know What We'll Be Getting  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Kresley Cole owns Nucking Futs Nïx, Sherrilyn Kenyon owns the Dark-Hunters.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Connor follows Nïx to New Orleans.  
Words: 305  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Hope Chests_, part 3

**__**

31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros

__

26. We Don't Know What We'll Be Getting

_"Nucking Futs Nïx_ wants you to follow her to New Orleans and you just go, Peaches Junior?" Spike's voice was tinny through the phone.

"Look, I had to come with the old lady -" Connor rolled his eyes at Spike's sniggering through the phone. "- for supplies. I didn't know that I'd run into a - what is she anyway?"

"You mean you - the great big Destined Child - don't know why we all keep _away_ from New Orleans?" Spike sniggered again.

"Next time I see you, Peroxide, I'm staking you," Connor snapped.

"Nibblet will eviscerate you," Spike gloated.

"Do I sound like I'm scared of Dawn?" Connor did, however, check over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't somewhere behind him.

"I wouldn't say that around her, Destroyer," a voice said behind him. "The Key gets mighty bitchy when you sass about her badassness."

Connor almost dropped his phone as he whipped around to find Nïx behind him. She was bouncing on her tip-toes as she cocked her head to the side.

"Nice bar choice, I normally stay away from the Bears, but if you _really_ wanna go in there - oh, and tell the Effulgent one that I am _so_ on to him."

"Effulgent one, Nïx is on to you," Connor relayed the message.

"And Tante Lulu's Hope Chest better be finished for you _real_ soon, Destroyer," Nïx grinned.

"Tante - what?" Connor broke off, staring at the empty space where the woman had been standing.

"The Valkyrie give you the slip?" Spike laughed over the phone.

"She was a Valkyrie?" Connor shook his head, his eyes catching on a beautiful blond woman slipping in through the doors to a bar across the way.

"Proto-Valkyrie. Thousands of years old and bat-shite crazy - but psychic."

"Much like Drusilla?" Connor snorted.

"Yeah, now that you mention it."


	27. Hide Our Hearts from Harder Times

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Hide Our Hearts from Harder Times  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Disney owns Hocus Pocus.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Being thrown into a grave is not a good thing, we've found.  
Words: 270  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: So I lost my work list for this story. I'm not a happy camper here, folks. Enjoy the rampant Carlos & Dani happiness.

_**31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros**_

_27. Hide Our Hearts from Harder Times_

Carlos spat out the mouthful of dirt and debris that he'd accidentally swallowed in the tumble into the open pit. He was getting really sick of being thrown into open graves. By the grumbling coming from beside him, he was fairly certain Dani Dennison was feeling much the same way.

"Are they just gonna keep tossing us into graves every time they think we're in danger of soul-sucking witches? Do they realize this does dick for keeping us zombie, vampire and werewolf safe?" Carlos snapped at her.

"You can ask Ernie and Jay that question later, after I'm done beating the crap out of them," Dani smiled sweetly. "It's not like we're innocents any more. We know the score!"

"C'mon, Dennison, your brother asked us to keep you safe. That's our job!" Ernie muttered back at her.

"Your job is to mind the museum when he's out of town with Allison, not to throw his little sister into open graves!" Dani yelled up at him.

"I don't think this is accomplishing anything but making us dirty," Carlos added.

"You've got the salt circle. Ghosts and witches can't cross it."

"He totally missed the whole thing about vampires, werewolves and zombies, didn't he?" Carlos rolled his eyes.

"Salem's kind of a one-hit town," Dani sighed heavily, settling herself down into the dirt. She frowned. Where was - "Um, Ernie?"

"No, Dani."

"ASshole, I was going to ask 'where's the body that once occupied this grave'?"

"It's Billy's."

"So where's Billy?"

"That's why you're in the grave."

"Who'd resurrect Billy?" Carlos frowned.

"There's only three witches with a reason to do that."


	28. Sweet Memory xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Haunted:Bear

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Sweet Memory  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Sherrilyn Kenyon owns the Dark-Hunters (Feehan owns the Carpathians)…  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Dawn comes face to face with the big bad bear.  
Words: 303  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _Haunted: Bear_ subset.

_**31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros**_

_28. Sweet Memory_

Dawn was not going to make eye contact with the man standing at the back of the bar. She was not. Because if she acknowledged him, he would see how freaked out she was right now. He would smell her fear. And she was a bit afraid right now.

"Starla, I need you to get up very slowly and make your way to the door."

"Why?" The younger slayer's eyes got wide with fear.

"Don't do that. Don't you do that, Starla," Dawn plastered a fake ass smile on her face and slowly reached for her purse.

"It feels heavy in here," Starla murmured.

"It's the humidity. It gets ya every time, Star."

"It's not -"

"I swear to God, if you freak out on me right now, Star, I'm cutting up the credit cards the Council issued you as compensation," Dawn smiled harder through the threatening words.

"Where's Purcell? He wanted to meet us here!" Starla's voice squeaked a bit.

"I have a feeling that he doesn't really care. It's a set-up. He's hoping to -" Dawn cut herself off. How could she tell the teenager that she had a bad feeling that Purcell had wanted both of them to pay for Starla's 'disobedience' and Dawn's usurping of his 'place'. By sending them to a not-slayer friendly bar.

"You friends of _Purcell_?"

Dawn's head jerked up as she found the meanest looking guy in the bar leaning over her. Damn. She kicked at Starla's leg. If she couldn't get herself out of this, she was as sure as hell going to get her temporary charge out of here. Starla, the stubborn brat, ignored her kick.

"Depends."

"Not an answer."

"I don't know, do you consider someone who sets you up to be a friend?" Dawn asked as calmly as she could.

"Depends."


	29. Secrets We Couldn't Keep xxxxxxxxxxx NWO

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: Secrets I Couldn't Keep  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, the WB owned Reba  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Kira needs to spill her guts to someone - figuratively, of course.  
Words: 233  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: Last installment of the _New World Order_ subset.

_**31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros**_

_29. Secrets I Couldn't Keep_

Faith watched as the red-head mowed down two more vamps in a matter of minutes. Obviously, the kid had stress issues. Faith wasn't the one to be digging in all that crap, so she settled back and watched the girl go to work. Kira Hart screamed in frustration as the last vamp crumbled to dust, leaving her nothing else to vanquish.

Faith cocked a brow at her, but didn't say anything. Saying something would imply she gave a rat's ass about whatever unfair thing the tiny Texan was currently pissed off about, and to be honest, it was cleaner if Faith stayed out of the loop.

"This is _fucking _stupid!" Kira yelled, relishing the use of the swear word. She kicked at a crumbling headstone, obliterating some poor bastards D.O.D. "First the divorce, then Cheyenne and Barbara Jean get knocked up, and Van and Cheyenne get married and move in so they can both finish school, and now this chosen bull_shit_! It's not fucking fair!"

"Who ever said it was, mini-slayer?" Faith snapped. "At least your parents are still kicking around and give a shit about you. At least you're one of thousands, instead of one in how many billion. Suck it up, kid. Life's a bitch, and then you die. No room for whining. So strap on and kill the fucking vamps without whinging about it! God, I fucking _hate_ newbie training."


	30. I Swore I Never Would

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: I Swore I Would Never  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, Disney owns Sky High.  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: She won't tell him, oh no, she won't.  
Words: 237  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: So, the titles were written well in advance of the actual stories. (Most likely prompted by a song list. Which explains so much.) This part was originally going to be something completely different (I mentioned the lost list, yes?). But I've forgotten so much in the intervening three years of the start of this series that we're going to go with something completely different. (Spoiler, there's Castle again at the end of this series. Just so's you know.) (^_^)

_**31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros**_

_30. I Swore I Would Never_

She wasn't going to talk about it. She's sworn not to, in point of fact. There was no need to drudge up a good old 'I told you so', for what would it actually accomplish? Not a damn thing.

"Get it out of your system, Summers."

"Pardon moi?" Dawn blinked at him innocently.

"You know you want to say it?"

"Say what?" She smiled. Why the hell would she say it when she could get him to admit to it freely.

"That picking up that book was a bad idea."

"Oh, you can pick it up all you want," Dawn shrugged.

"Fine, that opening that book was a bad idea," the dark haired man scowled at her.

"Oh, just admit she told you not to read it aloud," Kit muttered, wringing out her hair as she glared at her best friend. "She won't be happy until she hears it."

"I'm quite content -" Dawn smirked knowingly, until a bucket of water dumped on her head.

"That levels the playing field a bit, wouldn't you say, Peace?" Lash smirked.

"Dude, I've never been on your side. Why would I start now?"

"You are so going back to supervillian jail, you jerk!" Dawn screeched.

"I think she's gonna make sure a certain part of him never grows again," Kit snorted as Dawn chased after a fleeing Lash.

"That was a visual I never needed," Warren Peace pulled a face.


	31. I Saw It Coming xxxxxxx NWO:Mystery Spot

Series Title: 31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros  
Part Title: I Saw It Coming  
Author: Jmaria  
Rating: FR-15  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns the Buffyverse stuff, ABC owns Castle…  
Series Summary: Thirty-one experiments in insanity with a Halloween month theme, er, take four.  
Part Summary: Dawn knew it was an all around bad idea.  
Words: 326  
Series A/N: Yeah, I don't know Spanish. I took French in school - I lifted the Quatros from _Psych_  
A/N: _New World Order: Mystery Spot_ finale…

_**31 Nights of Frights, Dos Quatros**_

_31. I Saw It Coming_

"Your father and the detective he's working with are staring at me, Alexis," Dawn shifted uncomfortably beside the two other detectives who were currently speaking with Martha. "Why is he staring at me?"

"I don't know," Alexis smiled brightly at her as she slipped the flash drive containing copies of the files into Dawn's back pocket.

"Oh, that can't be good," Dawn groaned.

"What can't be good?" Esposito frowned, pulling his attention away from Martha.

"Uh, Alexis, do you know if there were nuts in the salad over there?" Dawn improvised, setting a hand on her stomach as she watched confusion and alarm break out on the faces of Mr. Castle and Detective Beckett.

"Almond slivers, why?" Alexis frowned, not following what Dawn was up to.

"Oh no. I'm gonna be sick," Dawn placed a hand over her mouth. "Excuse me."

Understanding shot through Alexis as she watched her watcher slip away from them just as her father and Beckett approached.

"Was it something I said?" Esposito asked.

"No, Dawn's allergic to almonds. I forgot to tell Dad not to use nuts," Alexis covered. "Hey Dad, Detective Beckett."

"How do you know that woman?" Alexis blinked at the question coming from her father.

"Dawn's my tutor."

"For what?"

"In my foreign language studies, Dad. I told you all this years ago when she was paired with me by the school," Alexis frowned at him. "Why?"

"And you only invited her along so you could pull a matchmaking scheme with Ryan and/or Esposito?"

"No!" Alexis blushed as the two detectives turned to stare at her. "She's also a good friend."

"A good friend you'd like to see as a _mother_?"

"Ew, Dad, no! She's only five years older than me," Alexis cried. A horrifying thought hit her then, "Are _you_ interested in her?"

"No!"

"Your tutor had to leave suddenly, Alexis, something about a food allergy -" Martha turned to them. "Did I miss something else, darlings?"


End file.
